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Forth Rail Bridge

Forth Rail Bridge

General Information

Structural Type: Cantilever truss bridge
Function / usage: Railroad (railway) bridge
Other name(s): Firth of Forth Bridge
Built: 1882 - 1890
Status: in use

Geographic Information & Related Structures

Location: Queensferry, Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom, Europe
Crosses
  • Firth of Forth
Next to Forth Road Bridge (1964)

Technical Information

Dimensions

total length 2.5 km
tower height 100.6 m
main spans 2 x 521 m

Quantities

structural steel 58 000 t

Materials

truss steel

Chronology

4 March 1890

Official opening by the Prince of Wales in the presence of Benjamin Baker and Gustave Eiffel.

1935

The movie "The Thirty-Nine Steps" by Alfred Hitchcock includes a typical suspense sequence on the Forth bridge.

Notes

The bridge appears in the movie "The Thirty-Nine Steps" of 1935, directed by Alfred Hitchcock. The suspense sequence shows some details of the bridge.

Fifty-seven men died building the bridge, while eight others were saved by safety boats under the structure.

Relevant Web Sites

Relevant Publications

Internal Information

Structure-ID: s0000024
Created: 28/10/1998
Last Updated: 21/05/2013